Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-12-24
THE SEASON OF GOOD WILL AND GIFTS

Christmas Day has outgrown without
losing its religious character 1t has be-
come more than church festival or holy
day il has taken into its embrace all
manner Of men, and enrolled upon the
roster Of mankind millions who do not pay
tribute at the shrine of the Christ child,
the anniversary Of whose birth the church
will this evening and tomorrow celebrate
with all ceremonial and devoutncss The
man must be of callous soul who resists,
OF does not feel the benign influence Of
this chiefest Of Christian festivals he who
is deaf to the acclaim Peace on earth and
good viii to men" At the Christmas tide,
or who remains insensible to the buman-
ling and gentle influence of the hour, is
indeed past hope Of human tenderness
and invuinerable to the love Of his fellows.
1t must have impressed all mature minds
that the custom of giving presents of lay
ing special tokens upon the affairs of afiec-
ton and esteem, at the Christmas-tide, has
greatly augmented and is constantly gain
ing strength as a custom. It cannot have
escaped the attention that there is greater
expenditure for these testimonials than
ever before and that the gifts themselves
have with each recurring season taken
better rs well as a richer character. Half
Il century ago there was not such wealth
Of variety from which to choose art had
not so largely become worshiper at the
altar of the gilt-giving season, nor had the
ingenuity and skill of men devised count
less ways of gratifying the taste or of
adapting the token TO the recipient.
Greater pains arc now taken and greater
opportunities afforded to combine nseful
ness with beauty and elegance in the gift.
Blu; this change in the character of "holi-
day presents" and the enlargement of the
custom, which is all but limit
less now in its objects, where
originally it was confined 10 the family
and to a circle of very close friends,
carries with them the necessity for greater
expenditure While money for holiday
presents therefore, secures better results,
II takes also 4 great deal more Of it. This
in itself, is not Objectionable where the
giver has the ready means to crafty his
tastes; but it is very different matter
indeed when the custom cXcites such
emulation to Guido, or to vie with ones
neighbor, that gift giving produces individ-
ual financial distress. The custom de-
feats its object when it demands that each
recipient shall make a return to his giver
of corresponding Costumes. Where the
receiver cannot comply without plunging
into debt, or such saving rs to cripple
home wants and needs, he should not
attempt it, and if his friend is half
friend, he will not only not expect it, but
be panied rather than gratifed by
expenditure in his behalf, which he knows
can i'll he afforded. If, to pay gift tribute
to ones friend, we must scrimp and starve
before and after, or narrow an already
narrow income, that barely meets daily
wants and leaves but little margin for the
rainy-day store, then it were better to lei
friendship grow upon stalk unwatered by
the seasons offerings Moreover bt ,ause
of the richness and variety Of choice foods
shown for Christmas giving it does not
follow that men must choose only Of ,hese
a gift is valued BY the friend, not for It's
money worth, but because of the spirit in
which it IS given, and the source from
which it comes. The most valued of gift
treasures are the boarded little things of
simple handiwork, testifying to the
hear;-promptcd hand that turned the
stitch, or held the graver, or drove the
nail, or guided the brush, or bore the
homcly tribute to US in sincerity and love
lie; Us not deceive ourselves; the pre-
cious tokens that men and women guard
and treasure in secret closets, are simple,
Loving reminders of hearts that are ours:
simple gifts which are not profaned by the
gaze Of merely curious eyes, or displayed